January 15, 2025 — A groundbreaking study published by researchers at the University of Washington has unveiled fresh insights into the effectiveness of global fisheries management, challenging conventional assessments that focus solely on overfishing. The research, led by Dr. Ray Hilborn, suggests that underexploitation of fish stocks is a far more significant contributor to lost food potential than overfishing. This discovery is central to the study’s introduction of a novel metric—the Commercial Fisheries Food Production Index (CFFPI)—designed to assess the ability of fisheries to maximize sustainable food production.
Key Findings: Underutilization of Fish Stocks
The study evaluates fisheries across 19 data-rich nations and five regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). These nations include Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Morocco, Peru, Russia, Japan, and Turkey. The European Union is analyzed separately for its Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, while sub-Saharan Africa is also included. Among the RFMOs studied are the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT).
The study reveals that current management practices capture only 77% of the combined maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from fish stocks. Notably, the research attributes 86% of the unrealized food production to insufficient fishing pressure, while overfishing accounts for a mere 14%.
Among international fisheries, the pattern is consistent: the majority of lost potential stems from underexploitation, not overfishing. These findings challenge traditional methods of evaluating fisheries performance, which prioritize preventing overfishing without adequately addressing opportunities to sustainably increase food production.
Introducing the CFFPI
To provide a more holistic assessment, the researchers developed the CFFPI. This index evaluates the long-term food production achievable from fisheries under current management compared to their maximum potential. Unlike conventional metrics focused on stock abundance, the CFFPI emphasizes fishing pressure as the critical variable for maximizing sustainable food production.
By using the CFFPI, the researchers identified that many countries could significantly increase their food production by targeting underexploited stocks, although this may require balancing other objectives such as environmental conservation and employment.
Broader Implications for Fisheries Policy
The study underscores the need to expand fisheries assessments beyond the commonly reported metrics of overfished stocks. While avoiding overfishing remains essential, the researchers argue that increasing fishing pressure on underexploited stocks offers a path to achieving higher sustainable yields. However, implementing such changes will require careful alignment with national and international goals, including ecological sustainability and economic priorities.
The analysis also highlights stark differences in management effectiveness among countries. Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway scored highly on the CFFPI, reflecting their focus on optimizing yields. In contrast, nations like the United States and Australia, often praised for their strong environmental laws, showed lower CFFPI scores due to precautionary policies that maintain low fishing pressure to avoid ecological risks.
A Call for Holistic Evaluation
The researchers conclude by advocating for the adoption of the CFFPI as a standard measure in fisheries management evaluations. Dr. Hilborn emphasizes that the index provides a more nuanced understanding of fisheries performance, accounting for the trade-offs inherent in managing marine resources for food production, environmental health, and socio-economic benefits.
“Simply reporting the proportion of stocks overfished or subject to overfishing, as is commonly done, does not, by itself, provide an adequate basis for decision-making when fisheries management has multiple objectives,” the authors state.
As global food security challenges intensify, this study provides a critical framework for optimizing fisheries management. By adopting tools like the CFFPI, policymakers can ensure that fisheries fulfill their potential as vital contributors to sustainable food systems while balancing ecological and social priorities.